I have always found the lack of critical and rational insight in the vast majority of people to be alternatively sad and hilarious.

The vast majority of people want to be popular and liked, even though it confers little or no advantage when it would matter most.

Did you catch the problem? Let me explain in some detail…

Ever wonder if there is a rational reason behind people wanting to be popular, liked and accepted? Well, there is really no advantage in being all that today.

Human beings want to tag along with people possessing social cred only as long as it is advantageous to them. Nazism, Racism, Eugenics, Catholicism, Belief in ‘White Destiny’ and a host of other ideas were once popular. Ever saw the German masses worshiping Hitler in ‘Triumph of the will’? That shit was real! Once the pope had the authority and popularity to start wars and crusades. Torture and lynchings of heretics, inconvenient people and blacks were once popular. Genocide of other races (belgian congo) and ethnic groups (irish famine) was once popular policy.

So how do we look at those events and attitudes today?

But why go that far back in history.. Let us look at some contemporary examples-

1. In the period 2002-2008, realtors in the USA could do no wrong. They made tons of money and everybody wanted to be like them. They had many new friends, acquaintances, defenders, rationalizers and everybody wanted to help them, or be nice to them.

How is that working out now? How many of their friends and acquaintances want to help, or even be associated with, them now? Why not? What changed?

2. After Sep/2001, almost everybody supported all sorts of bullshit- from ‘homeland security’ to suspension of due legal process. It seemed that almost everyone, including so-called rational people, wanted to be safe from the “evildoers”. So how do people now look at those who rode that event to greater power? What about Bush, Rumsfeld, Giuliani, Kerick etc? Still adored and respected?

You might say- but they are rich. Newsflash.. they were already rich and powerful BEFORE 2001.

3. A few years ago, a game changer like the iPhone was considered unimplementable or too costly- even though the technology to do was around. Many famous and then respected people from other companies such as RIM, Nokia and Microsoft never went down that road though they had a huge lead in that area. Indeed, many engineers from those companies also believed and promoted this view.

So who is NOT laughing to the bank? What about those engineers who stood behind and supported the decisions of management morons? What did they get for their loyalty?

I will give more examples and talk some more about why wasting time and effort on gaining a favorable social image is not worth the investment in the next post on this subject.